POLICE officers across the country have ‘never been more in the spotlight’ a commissioner has said.

Hampshire’s police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said the public ‘expect’ the best from its police force, and that officers must uphold the very highest standards.

Her comments come in the wake of Wayne Couzens’ imprisonment, the Metropolitan Police officer who killed Sarah Everard in March last year.

At the Old Bailey in September, Couzens was jailed for a whole-life term for her kidnap, rape and murder. He has since appealed his sentence.

Speaking to the police and crime panel, hosted by Hampshire County Council on July 8, Mrs Jones said officers have a duty to do better.

Mrs Jones said: "Policing in the UK has never been more in the spotlight than it is right now, and the strength of public feeling has certainly been demonstrated.

"People expect the very highest standards from their police force and I think that’s only right and proper.

"I welcome the challenge – I think it’s healthy and it’s the way things should be."

This year Mrs Jones held a review into anonymity and wrote to the Legally Qualified Chairs, who run disciplinary hearings, to remind them that there must be a presumption of transparency.

Portsmouth PC Simon Bailey had been given anonymity by a disciplinary hearing in the autumn when he was only known as Officer A. But he was named by The News, Portsmouth after being placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.

PC Terry Cooke from Basingstoke was also sacked for pursuing relationships with vulnerable women he met through work – including victims of domestic abuse.

He was only named after media publisher Newsquest appealed to the High Court.

A Hampshire police officer known only as Sergeant X was banned from the force last year for sending racial and homophobic slurs to a woman he was seeing in secret.

Naming officers who face disciplinary proceedings is something Mrs Jones has said she is in favour of.

"I have been a national spokesman on the sentencing of high-profile police officers working in a corrupt way," she told the panel.

In many of these instances, it is women and girls who are adversely affected by these police officers.

The dangers that face women and girls is something the commissioner is keen to stamp out, and last year established a dedicated task force.

She said: "I have really stepped up the pace in terms of raising awareness of violence against women and girls and the nighttime economy risk, particularly in our university towns and cities.

"It’s important that we raise awareness to keep women and girls safe in our county."